


Elaine

by Yaoiloverread



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Childhood Memories, Fluff, Gen, Teddy Bears, at least i think it is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-06
Updated: 2013-11-06
Packaged: 2017-12-31 16:06:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1033647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yaoiloverread/pseuds/Yaoiloverread
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Meet Elaine. She's from Will's childhood.</p><p>She gives great hugs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Elaine

ELAINE

 

"So this must be Elaine?" Hannibal questions, head slightly tilted as he watches Will give an automatic cuddle to the bear in his arms. It is old, the brown felt covering the whole thing is worn out and thin. One 'arm' looks to be about to fall off.

Will nods, blush appearing over the tops of his cheeks, and he buries his face in the simple toy in lieu of a response.

"Tell me about her." This is not a request, even though it may sound like one. "I assume you named it-"

"Elaine."

"- Elaine then," he continues without missing a beat. "After the person who gave her to you. Someone important to you, or you wouldn't have kept it for all this time. Perhaps your mother."

Will gave a weak chuckle. "Right on target."

He held it loosely between his hands, a thumb coming up to rub against one ear.

"She was a present from my mother. That day..." he trailed off, gaze looking into the distance.

"My father was away, for something or other, I can't quite remember, but it was just me and my mother. It was just a quiet day, one of those summer days that bring all the vacation boats to the lake. Lots of work for someone like my father, so that's probably where he was.

We'd run out of milk, so she brought me to the shops. I remember thinking that it was so odd, because normally she just left me at home when she went, but I think it was one of her better days."

"And how did that make you feel?"

"... happy. I guess. That she had noticed me enough, to want to bring me along. That's where she bought me this bear. It actually used to have a ribbon up here," he gestured at the toy's head, "in a very horrific shade of pink actually.

But I didn't argue. It was the cheapest thing in the entire store, but I didn't care, because my mother bought it for me."

"And so you kept the bear, as a memento of that idyllic time spent together."

Will breathed out a sigh. "... yeah. Something like that, anyway. Of course, it turned out it didn't matter to her as much, since she left not long after."

"Thus the memento."

Will nodded. "You know, Doctor, you're the first person not to laugh when they find out about Elaine."

Hannibal frowned. "And why should I? I feel that it is an admirable gesture, to keep a token of hurtful memories, despite the pain that it must cause you."

Will looked over at him from his seat. "They're not painful memories, Doctor. Simply... bitter. Like unripened peaches, when you take a big bite without knowing how it'll taste." He chuckled self-deprecatingly at that image, another memory from long ago fogging up his gaze.

"Ah, but sometimes the fruit can bear sweetness."

"Or worms." Hannibal conceded the point with a nod.

"But I wonder," Hannibal pauses. Will watches him warily, especially when he reaches over. One hand ghosts over the air above the bear's head, as if he meant to touch, but had to stop himself at the last second. "You must have taken very good care of Elaine here."

"Yes," Will laughed at himself. "Brought it everywhere I went. Nearly got beat up a few times because of that pink ribbon. Luckily I was a lot faster than them."

"I must admit, I do not see the point of assigning stereotyped colors to gender."

"Well, it's a kid thing, I guess?"

"Or perhaps a difference in culture." Hannibal looked up. "Either way, thank you for sharing this story with me."

"Well, that's what I'm supposed to do, right? Tell you all my childhood traumas, you'll put it down to my absent mother, rinse and repeat?"

"I do hope that what we do here is nothing as crude as that."

Will ducked his head. "Sorry, it's just been a long day." He sighed. "The rest of the team teased me about Elaine when Zeller found her in my bag this morning."

"I see." Hannibal's face was blank, Will didn't know what he was thinking about that. "I do hope they apologized for that."

"Well, Katz did, at least." The silence stretched between them, before Will broke it with a cough.

"Erm... did you want to hold Elaine for a while?"

Hannibal blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"She gives great hugs, I'd know." Will grinned at that, wagging the toy out at him teasingly. Before he could say anything else, Hannibal found himself with a lapful of bear.

He reached out one hand, and stroked the thin cloth skin. It felt a lot more sturdier than it'd looked at first glance, although the stuffing had long gone out of shape.

He looked up. Will watched from the other chair, a small smile on his face.

He patted it a few more times, before lifting it back up to Will. Will caught it between both hands.

"There, all better now." He smiled up at him, unsure of who he was talking about.

**Author's Note:**

> This has been up on hannibalkink for about 3 months already, and I just thought to put it here, oops.


End file.
